


Closet Case

by clownmaeda_renaissance



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Angst with a Happy Ending, Coming Out, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, Internalized Homophobia, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-07-27 10:11:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20044276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clownmaeda_renaissance/pseuds/clownmaeda_renaissance
Summary: "It was a well-known fact that Saihara Shuichi was not straight. At least he thought it should be. He hadn’t said anything about it, but everyone should be able to tell right?"AKA Shuichi learns how to stop running from himself through the power of flowers





	1. Chapter 1

Shuichi buried his head in his hands as he shut the door to his dorm room. His face burned in a mixture of embarrassment and frustration as he pressed his back against the door and slid down until he was in a sitting position. Why his classmates always turned nice outings into ridiculous events like this was beyond him. All he wanted to do was have a nice lunch with his friends.

It was the weekend, so Kaede had suggested that she, Kaito, Maki, and Shuichi go off campus for once to have lunch. It was a rare event for them to even set foot off campus, since it required such a long walk to get to any place of interest. That couldn’t deter any of them this time though, and Shuichi was genuinely excited to hang out with his friends free from the school atmosphere. 

He wasn’t prepared for Kaito and Maki to prematurely leave the diner they were at so he and Kaede could have some “alone time.” Kaito indiscreetly winked at Shuichi as he all but dragged Maki out of the restaurant. Kaede had looked exactly as confused as Shuichi felt, though his confusion was swiftly followed by realization and, subsequently, angry resignation.

He and Kaede had had a great time anyway. Kaede insisted on ordering the strangest dessert on the menu because she “wouldn’t back down” and “wasn’t a coward”, and Shuichi laughed at how hard she scrunched her face when she realized that raisin ice cream was the most disgusting thing she’d ever tasted. 

They joked. They laughed. They bantered as they walked back. But as _friends_.

It was a well-known fact that Saihara Shuichi was not straight. At least he thought it should be. He hadn’t said anything about it, but everyone should be able to tell right? 

Nevertheless, every one of his classmates were constantly pushing him towards one girl or another. Almost always Kaede. At this point it made him downright uncomfortable every time it happened.

He may have thought he’d had a crush on Kaede their first year, but he quickly realized that what he was feeling was just admiration. He’d never been great at understanding what he was feeling, and once he’d learned that, he also learned that he had never liked girls at all. What he had thought was attraction was actually him mislabeling appreciation as love.

After figuring that out, he and Kaede had grown even closer since Shuichi wasn’t acting so flustered or spastic around her anymore. He thought it was obvious to everyone that he’d dropped the crush a long time ago. Sure they hang out a lot, but that’s what best friends do!

Unfortunately, he can’t just be best friends with a girl on any of his classmates’ watch. Especially Kaito’s. Shuichi can’t exactly blame his logic either, considering Kaito’s first girl best friend became his girlfriend soon after. Even so, he’d appreciate if Kaito would stop trying to play his wingman every time he and Kaede were having a friendly conversation. And stop leaving them alone together when they’re supposed to be at a group event. And stop having “bro talks” that are actually just Kaito giving Shuichi tips on asking her out while Shuichi nods and stares off into space.

But for all of that to stop, Shuichi would have to talk to him about it. He could never, under any circumstances, do that. Kaito was an amazing friend, and so was Maki and Kaede and the rest of his classmates. He’s pretty sure none of them would bully him or stop talking to him, but he’s not sure he could handle it if they started looking at him any differently. The possible outcomes seemed like far more trouble than they were worth.

He sighed as he scrubbed at his eyes trying to calm himself down. _It’s not a big deal, he tells himself. Kaito and the others don’t even know they’re doing anything wrong. Who am I to be mad at them for that?_

He kept rubbing at his eyes until he saw colors behind them. _Just two more years until you graduate, and you’ll be in the clear, Shuichi! You’ll be able to do whatever you want, AND you won’t have to burden them with this information!_

It didn’t sound optimistic enough to be a pep talk, but that’s the best he could do for himself. He dragged his head out of his hands and looked up, the back of his head resting on the door. He could probably make this work. He just needed to feel bad about it now so he’d feel okay about it later. 

He suddenly heard three swift knocks right above his head. He’d felt every one of them in the back of his skull, and it startled him into jumping away from the door onto all-fours. As he steadied his breathing, he realized there was no chance the person on the other side hadn’t heard the action. He could only pray that whoever was on the other side wasn’t the type to call him out on it.

“Saihara-chaaan!” he heard a chipper voice call from the other side.

Not him. 

Angie was wrong about everything, because if Atua was looking out for Shuichi, then He would’ve sent anybody but him.

Don’t get Shuichi wrong, he wasn’t on unfriendly terms with one Ouma Kokichi. In fact, they were currently on the friendliest terms out of any of Ouma’s friends. Except for maybe Gonta of course, but Shuichi’s not sure how much that counts. Ouma may be difficult for some to handle, but what others found difficult, Shuichi found interesting and sometimes even entertaining. As time passed, he’s only found more and more to uncover about their resident Ultimate Supreme Leader, and he’s happy to be friends with the biggest mystery of a person he’s ever met. However, this wouldn’t stop Shuichi from admitting just how much of a bastard he can be. 

That said, Ouma was not likely to help him out by leaving him alone right now. If anything, he’s going to make things worse. 

Regardless of how he felt about his current situation, he knew he couldn’t just not open the door. He suddenly felt horrifyingly aware of how his eyes burned and hoped it wasn’t noticeable just how close he was to crying. He did everything within his power to wrangle his expression into something as blank as possible before he scrambled to get to his feet and turn the knob.

“Hey, Saihara-chan! I was gonna ask if you wanted to join a terrifying game of wits and wagers with me, but it seems you’re a little busy lying on the floor in front of your door like in a teen drama,” Ouma greeted with a wide grin. Once he took a good look at Shuichi, his cheery demeanor dropped if only for a second. He’d almost looked concerned? 

Shuichi felt as flattered as he did mortified. He had to look like a mess for sure if he made Ouma of all people have that kind of reaction. At the thought, he felt panic rise all the way up to his throat. There was no way he could lie his way out of this one to someone who might as well be the Ultimate Liar. Even worse, Ouma already knew something was up.

But Shuichi _really_ didn’t want to talk about this. 

He began stuttering out beginnings to sentences that he had no end to. His reaction only seemed to make Ouma even more intrigued. 

Shit.

Ouma interrupted with a faux gasp, “Or is there _actual_ teen drama going on here? That’d be waaaay more interesting!” He got more and more into Shuichi’s space as he spoke.

“Uh… Hey, Ouma. Thanks for the offer, but I don’t think I’m up to any games today. Maybe next time?” he replied. Way to go, Shuichi. Avoiding the topic will totally make him drop it.

“Hmm…” He brought his finger up to his face in an exaggerated motion. “I might allow it if we play a different game. A compromise if you will!”

“And what kind of game would that be?”

“I’ll let you skip out on Mario Kart for your life if – and only if! – _you_,” He paused as he stabbed his finger into Shuichi’s chest. “Come with _me_ on a super secret mission.”

“Wh- Look, Ouma, I’d really prefer not to- “

“It’s that or death, Saihara-chan!”

“But that’s not even a- “

“Death!”

Shuichi let out a tired sigh. He may not exactly be in the mood for whatever “secret mission” Ouma has in store, but it couldn’t hurt to go along with it. However tempting, he knows he’s not going to feel any better wallowing in self-pity in his room. “You’re not going to let me get out of this are you?”

“Nope!” Ouma replied, knowing he’d won. “It’s not like you’re doing anything important anyway. C’mon!” He linked his arm with Shuichi’s before he could try to argue. Shuichi didn’t even have time to be flustered before he was being dragged from his room, forced to leave the door open as he’s whisked away.

  


* * *

  
When they arrive at the school greenhouse, Shuichi is more than a little confused. As far as he’s aware, he’s never seen Ouma have any business in the greenhouse. In his defense, Shuichi can’t remember coming here either. He’s pretty disappointed that he hasn’t, though, as he notices how beautiful the space is, with impressively high ceilings and thousands of well-maintained plants scattered around. He’s still taking in his surroundings when Ouma comes to an abrupt stop, jerking Shuichi. Shuichi gives him a confused look that goes completely ignored.

Ouma turns to give him a meaningful look and places his hands on both of his shoulders. “Look, Saihara-chan. This mission is super important. So important that I can’t tell you what it’s about, or else I’d have to kill you. But you have to trust me and do exactly what I say, alright?”

Shuichi looked away to avoid the intense eye contact. “Ah- uh… Of course! What do you need?”

Ouma gave a serious nod and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a folded up note and held it out to Shuichi nonchalantly between two fingers. He took the note and gave Ouma a bewildered look, waiting for some type of direction.

“Go ahead! Open it.”

Shuichi slowly unfolded to note to reveal… a list of flowers? His eyes darted across the note in confusion as he took in the bulleted list of flowers ranging from daffodils to roses.

Ouma threw his arms behind his head and smiled. “I need you to collect a few of each of the flowers from the first half of that list. Don’t worry about the second half, that’ll be handled by yours truly!”

“Wh- Ouma, don’t lie about things like this! I thought you were in serious trouble!” Shuichi couldn’t help the incredulous laugh that forced itself from his mouth after his halfhearted scolding. He’s known Ouma long enough to expect this kind of behavior, but he still seems to fall for his tricks sometimes. Both he and Ouma know he’d be lying if he said he didn’t find it funny sometimes.

“My beloved doesn’t believe in my super top secret plan?” Ouma asked with a wobble in his voice. He looked up at Shuichi to reveal misty puppy dog eyes.

Shuichi knew what was coming next.

“Waaaaaaah!” Ouma let his crocodile tears fall freely, making as much noise as his tiny body allows. Surprisingly, it’s always more noise than Shuichi would think. “I thought-“ He interrupted himself with a sob. “I thought we were-“ Another sob. “_Friends!_” He cried even harder as he swung his head down to bury it in his hands.

“We are friends! Th-that’s why I’m still going to help you with your plan! Even if it’s not exactly going to save the world or anything.”

Ouma picked his head up and smiled, no trace of sadness left on his face. “Ya got me! My plan may not be life or death, but it’s still important to me, so I’m glad you’ve seen it my way. Now get a move on!” He made a shooing motion with his hands. “We don’t have all day, and I need you to use your detective superpowers to find those flowers as quickly as possible.”

“Uh, that’s not how it works, but I’ll do my best,” Shuichi replied with his signature awkward smile as Ouma skipped away to find what he was looking for. Shuichi looked back down to study the list before setting off to work.

There are only five flowers for him to find, but he could see why Ouma asked for help with how vast the greenhouse was. He swore there must be at least one of every plant there. He fumbled around the room looking at the names of each flower he came across to make sure he wasn’t missing anything. He’d never bothered to learn anything about flowers, so he didn’t feel confident enough to be able to look at any flower and know it by name.

As he scoured the greenhouse, he wondered why he was even there, aside from the obvious of course. What could Ouma even be doing with a bunch of flowers? The obvious answer would be making a bouquet, but Shuichi just couldn’t think of a reason Ouma would do that. It wasn’t like he was going to confess to some girl, right?

Shuichi pondered the possibility, but he came to the conclusion that Ouma didn’t get along with any of the girls in their class enough to confess to them. Not to mention a gesture like this seemed far too out of character for Ouma. But what else could he possibly be doing with them?

Even with Shuichi’s thoughts and less than ideal method of finding flowers, he gathered the flowers on the list faster than expected. He got especially quick at finding them after he had noticed the pattern of the flowers being either purple or white. At least he was gaining some kind of information on this “mission”, but it still didn’t tell him what the flowers were going to be for.

He was in the process of picking the last flower on his list when Ouma walked back over, hands full of flowers. “I finished before you? What a shame… What is a detective for if not finding flowers super fast!”

“I’m not even going to bother with that one,” Shuichi chuckled. “But I’ve never had any experience with flowers, so I know nothing about them.”

“Ooh, if you joined my secret organization, you would know all about flowers!” Ouma said with starry eyes.

“Why’s that?”

“Flower code, Saihara-chan!” he exclaimed, waving his collection of flowers around for emphasis. “Imagine this! I want to tell my enemies that I’m coming for them and they should watch their backs, right? I could just send them a letter saying that, which would be waaaay too obvious. Or I could send my enemies a bouquet that says the same message, and they’d be able to understand it all the same.”

“I see! So you send a bouquet because a letter would be tracible back to you with the handwriting,” Shuichi deduced.

“Now you’re getting it! Have I convinced you to join my organization with our Victorian charm?” Ouma grinned up at him.

“Not yet, but maybe next time,” Shuichi giggled. 

Shuichi had gotten a lot more lax about Ouma’s organization over the time he had known the leader, but this was the closest he had gotten to accepting the offer. Honestly DICE didn’t sound so bad the more he learned about it. He also knows Ouma would never let him join for real, so he saw no harm in playing along. Ouma stared at him with a starstruck look in his eye as Shuichi’s laughter tapered off. 

“Are these flowers for a bouquet then? What are they saying?” Shuichi continued, looking down at the flowers as he flushed under the attention. He gently inspected one of the larger flowers, as if he could find his answer just by looking hard enough.

“Well, they are for a bouquet, but the meaning’s not all that important as far as I’m concerned,” Ouma looked down at his nails, making a dramatized show of being disinterested.

“I- What do you mean?” Shuichi asked with an absolutely puzzled expression. “What are the flowers for then?”

“Well, they’re for you to give to your girlfriend, duh.”

Shuichi’s brain glitched.

“I saw you come back from your date with Bakamatsu earlier, and I figured that’s what you were being all emo about in your room. I’m sure it didn’t go too badly since my beloved Saihara-chan couldn’t even offend a bug, but you seemed pretty messed up about it. So I thought you could totally use my help to…”

Shuichi stared, eyes unfocused and unseeing, as Ouma continued to explain himself. He was only half listening as both his mind and heart raced. He had managed to forget all about his dilemma with Kaede because of Ouma’s flower shenanigans, but it turns out the whole distraction was leading back to being reminded of the problem again? The irony was astounding.

All he wanted was a break from the insinuation that he was dating Kaede. Or dating anyone for that matter. He had heard enough of it. He thought that out of everyone he could maybe get a break from that stuff with Ouma, but clearly that was foolish of him. Of course Ouma just wanted to push his buttons on the one thing he was most sensitive about. That's just what he did.

Every single one of the emotions Shuichi had been bottling up since he got over his crush on Kaede came to a boil all at once. He felt rage, betrayal, anxiety, confusion, and possibly every emotion he could have build up inside of him. He’d blame it on all of these emotions for the stupid decision he was about to make.

“Ouma, I’m gay.”

Ouma stopped his long-winded explanation to stare dumbfoundedly at Shuichi.

Did he seriously just say that out loud?

Shuichi had never seen Ouma speechless, and honestly the sight was a little frightening. His reaction made the detective feel even more ashamed and embarrassed than he already was, which he would’ve thought was impossible. 

He had been waiting for the right moment to tell somebody that of his own volition! He hadn’t wanted to come out for the first time in a dumb slip-up to someone who has never shared any personal information ever!

“I- Uh- O- Oh my gosh…” Shuichi hid his face behind the hoard of flowers he had collected. He stood there in shock for a moment, wondering what his next course of action should be. “I- I’m just gonna-,” Shuichi continued to stutter as he pulled his head back away. He quickly turned away from Ouma’s shocked face and made an attempt to flee the scene.

He found himself unable to make his escape, though. Ouma had grabbed his arm.

He was deathly afraid to turn back around. Shuichi would rather die than to see true disgust on Ouma’s face. He can’t recall a time he’s ever seen such a reaction from the leader unless it was for one of his lies or jokes. Shuichi’s not sure he could stomach seeing the real thing directed at him. Even so, he knew that he couldn’t leave until he looked. Reluctantly, Shuichi turned his head back around to face him.

What he found was the most earnest expression he had ever seen on Ouma Kokichi’s face. It made him even more nauseous.

“Saihara-chan… You can leave in a sec if you want to, but I need to be crystal clear on one thing,” Ouma began. “I’m not gonna tell anyone what you just told me if you don’t want me to. Just say the word. And I’m certainly not going to hate you because you like guys, so don’t run off and think anything like that, okay?” Ouma gave him a small smile to reassure him that everything would be alright.

The words hit Shuichi somewhere deep in his chest, and he felt the beginnings of tears well up in his eyes. He had never expected such heartfelt words from Ouma, and for him to say something like that for his sake? It was too much for Shuichi to handle but in the best of ways. He felt his composure crumbling until it wasn’t there at all and with it, went his reservations.

He threw his arms around Ouma, flowers still in hand. He buried his head deep into the leader’s shoulder as he whispered a quiet, “Thank you.” Once he said it, his tears began to fall for real, and he was silently crying into Ouma’s shoulder. He knew he was totally going to regret this later, but it felt like the right thing to do in the moment.

Shuichi could tell Ouma was inexperienced in comforting people, but he was doing as best as he could. He hugged Shuichi back and continued to repeat a mantra of words like “It’s okay” and “You’re alright.” He’d almost sounded like a robot since he wasn’t sure how to say them as earnestly as he meant them, but that’s okay. Shuichi knew how much the effort he was even making meant.

“Please don’t tell anyone,” Shuichi whispered. “You’re the first person I’ve told. I want to say it to everyone myself.”

“Don’t worry,” Ouma whispered back, lightly squeezing Shuichi. “I won’t.”

Ouma gave a pause before adding, “And if anyone gives you any shit, I’ll send DICE after them myself! We’ll see how they can make fun of you after they have no toes, nishishi!”

“What?” Shuichi laughed through the quiet sobs. With his continued laughter, he felt his anxiety over the situation dissipate. He wondered why he was even so scared to begin with.

Shuichi eventually felt his tears subside, and he lifted his head up. He found himself far too close to Ouma’s face for comfort, especially after what he’d just admitted. He took a lightning quick step away from Ouma to avoid any discomfort, and he looked anywhere but Ouma’s eyes, extremely embarrassed at the display he’d just created. The only place he could look was back down at the flowers, and he suddenly realized he had no reason to keep them since they were meant for Kaede.

“Here,” Shuichi presented the flowers to Ouma. “Thanks for being so nice to me this afternoon. And trying to help me win Kaede back, even though I never had her in the first place,” he sheepishly laughed to break the tension.

Ouma aimed an unreadable stare at him. “No.”

“Wh- what do you mean no?”

Despite his answer, Ouma wordlessly took the flowers, leaving Shuichi’s hands uncertainly hovering in place at the loss. Shuichi had only a few seconds to wonder what was going on before Ouma combined the flowers with his own. He busied himself with distributing the flowers as evenly yet quickly as possible to form a decent arrangement. Once he was done, he held the flowers right back out to Shuichi.

“No can do, my beloved. The bouquet was originally for you anyway.” He shoved the bouquet into Shuichi’s chest so there was no way he could refuse them. “So you better take em!”

Shuichi confusedly stared at Ouma, but before he could ask questions, he felt lips pressing firmly onto his cheek. At the light pressure, Shuichi felt his face heat and his eyes widen as thoughts raced in his head. The most prominent being “Is this real?” He had no time to process anything beyond that before the leader was already back in his own space giving the detective a slightly flustered grin.

Did he just-?

At Ouma’s smile, Shuichi felt his face become ten times redder. He made a motion to reach up for a hat that he realized wasn’t there, causing his hand to stop midair and rest on his cheek instead. After that, his body felt frozen in place, unable to make any other motion. His thundering heartbeat made any other sense impossible to focus on.

Before Shuichi could even try to stutter out a word of questioning, the leader shouted “Later, Saihara-chan!” into Shuichi’s face as he whipped around and broke into a sprint towards the greenhouse exit. Shuichi could only stare as he shoved the door aside in his mad dash to escape. Through the transparent door he could see Ouma get smaller and smaller as he ran through the courtyard until he was out of sight. 

Shuichi simply stood there with his thoughts, knowing there was no way he’d be able to find Ouma to interrogate him on what just happened. Shuichi never expected coming out would get him here. He had expected the absolute worst, but instead he got the best case scenario. He got a kiss and maybe a boy who likes him? And he thinks he might like him back? He had no idea how he got here. 

He felt his confidence skyrocket. Maybe Ouma was right earlier. Maybe everything was going to be okay, and maybe he could do this again with Kaede, and Kaito, and Maki, and eventually even the rest of his classmates.

As Shuichi rode his emotional high, he glanced down to admire the admittedly beautiful purple and white arrangement in his hand. Ouma had said the flowers were supposed to be for him. Had Ouma been carrying around that list of flowers all this time just for him? Shuichi felt his heart soar even higher at the thought.

The feeling was interrupted as Shuichi paused. Ouma knew what each of the flowers meant. If the bouquet was actually for Shuichi, then it definitely had a secret message that it was sending him, and he had no way of knowing what that message was.

Shuichi began walking towards his dorm for the second time that afternoon, and he grinned as he decided he would do some research on flower language that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i haven't written anything besides school essays in years and this was my first fanfic like ever? it was a really fun experience! i might continue this if anyone wants to see that or if i get bored enough lmao


	2. Chapter 2

Shuichi could wholeheartedly say that he did not know how to act after yesterday.

After he had carefully placed the bouquet in a warehouse-acquired vase on his desk, Shuichi had spent the remainder of the previous day spasming in his room until he collapsed into a fitful sleep. 

He had decided to let himself calm down before he could even think about going to research the flowers. His curious detective’s intuition screamed at him for it, but he knew it was for the best, lest his nerves cause him to spontaneously combust in the school library.

Now that it was a new day, he was finally free to burst out of his room and “briskly walk” to the library. He was jittery with anticipation over what the flowers could possibly mean. He had more than enough time to overthink every possible scenario, and they all flashed before him again as he walked to the school building. 

One of the most prominent ones was where the whole thing, from the flowers to the kiss, was a lie. He thought Ouma had seemed way too sincere for that one, but it didn’t stop Shuichi from thinking it anyway. 

After all, the flowers could say “I hate you please die,” and Ouma could pop out and say it was all one big lie. It’d be the perfect opportunity to make fun of Shuichi’s feelings and then maybe out him to the rest of the class for good measure. It seemed cruel, but he couldn’t deny that it would be pretty on brand for the leader in any other situation.

But Shuichi knew better than that. He hadn’t turned a blind eye to how much softer Ouma was around him. His crueler side was always reserved for other people, never Shuichi. It was honestly why they got along so well.

It also might be why Shuichi, reluctant as he was to admit it, had developed an unwitting crush on him. He felt like an idiot, worrying so much about being outed that he not only didn’t notice that his friend was gay too, but he also didn’t notice himself crushing hard on said friend until the evidence was shoved in his face.

Some detective he was. 

Even so, he couldn’t deny that there was something charming about being the only one the closed-off gremlin actually liked. He clearly liked Shuichi enough to make him a whole bouquet, joke or not, so the detective tried to stomp down his pessimism and anxieties about the flowers.

Shuichi came upon the library doors, and that single thought gave him the resolve he needed to find the truth about the flowers, whether it be good or bad. He pushed open the doors.

He scoured the dusty shelves for a while until he found a surprisingly clean yet ancient book on flower language. He hugged the book to his chest partly so no one would see it, but mostly so he could try to expel all the giddy energy that was building inside him. He gave the book another squeeze before he began his trek back to his room.

After a cursory glance around the halls to find nobody watching him, he flipped through the book as he walked. There were drawings of the flowers underneath each type, so maybe he could remember a few of them and figure it out before he got back?

“Shuichi!”

He instinctively snapped the book shut and whipped his head in all directions to find out where the shout came from. His gaze landed on the door to the cafeteria, outside of which Kaito was waving enthusiastically and jogging towards him.

Shuichi’s panic kicked in full force after seeing who caught him. He clumsily fumbled with the book to find the most natural way to hide the book from view. He settled on putting the book under his arm in the least suspicious way he could manage. 

“Hey, sidekick!” Kaito exclaimed, finally close enough to link his arm around Shuichi’s shoulders. “Why didn’t I see you at breakfast? You’re not skipping meals again are you?”

Shuichi gave an awkward laugh. “No, don’t worry about it, Kaito. I just didn’t feel like breakfast today.”

“But breakfast is the most important meal of the day! And-“ Kaito cut himself off as his eyes trailed down to the book. His arms crossed immediately after. “You better not be skipping breakfast just to read. What book was so important?”

Shuichi could never catch a break, huh?

His face involuntarily flushed as he gripped the book tighter. “Ah- Uh- I’m just doing some general research. It’s not that important. You don’t need to worry about it,” Shuichi forced out while casually waving his hand around.

Oh my god, that was terrible. He had no doubt that Ouma would mercilessly laugh at him for that pitiful attempt of a lie.

Kaito gave a smile that did not spell good news for the detective. “Dude, I don’t believe that for a second,” he said as he snatched the book right from Shuichi’s grasp. “It better not be anything class-related. We all know you work yourself too-“ Kaito stopped himself once again as he inspected the book’s cover.

“Flower language?” The confusion is his tone was so apparent that it almost sounded comical. His questioning eyes darted back to Shuichi’s in search of an answer.

“Uh…,” Shuichi intelligently replied.

Kaito’s face then lit up as he realized exactly what was going on. “Bro! You’re finally making a move! I’m so proud of you!” he exclaimed as he pulled Shuichi into a hug.

Shuichi was stiff in Kaito’s hold as he tried to make sense of the situation. What the hell was Kaito talking about? If anything, Ouma made a move on him rather than the other way around, but how would Kaito know that?

When Kaito pulled back, he left his hands on both of Shuichi’s shoulders as he smiled. “I gotta say this isn’t how I expected you to do it, but if it works for you then I support you one hundred percent! Kaede’s gonna love it, Shuichi!”

_Oh._

Shuichi had been so caught up in the Ouma situation that he forgot about the _Kaede_ situation. Or more accurately the everyone-thinking-Shuichi-likes-Kaede situation. 

He was at a loss for what to do. Of course he could just lie, but wouldn’t that be discrediting what he thought he had learned yesterday? Shouldn’t he be more confident in himself? Shouldn’t he be able to tell Kaito that he had no interest in Kaede or girls at all?

He thought so, but his throat constricted before he could so much as try to get the words out. His heart was beating out of his chest, and he could feel himself beginning to break out into a sweat. So much for being brave.

“Th-thanks, Kaito! I hope it goes well…” 

He felt the guilt of the lie weigh on his chest, but he knew telling the truth right now was out of the question. He thought he might faint if he even tried.

“Don’t be so nervous!” Kaito boomed as he gave Shuichi an encouraging pat on the back. “I’m sure it’ll turn out fine. Kaede’d be crazy not to accept.” He had begun to politely sidle away from Shuichi. “I’ll let you do your thing, but don’t forget to eat! We have training tonight, and Maki said if you pass out again she’s kicking both of our asses,” Kaito chuckled. 

The astronaut was almost out of sight before he seemed to remember something. He turned back around to call out to Shuichi.

“Tell me all about how your plan goes later!” Kaito yelled with a conspiratorial wink.

With that, he was gone before Shuichi could process what that conversation even was. Momota Kaito’s energy truly was a force to be reckoned with.

The detective blinked his eyes to ground himself back in reality. That sure was… something.

The lie might cause future Shuichi grief, but he reminded himself that present Shuichi was on a mission that couldn’t afford any more detours. He clutched the book tightly to his chest and scurried the rest of the way back.

  


* * *

  


The second Shuichi reached his dorm, he scrambled to his desk to sit directly in front of the bouquet. He anxiously flipped through the book in search of answers.

He decided to start with the flower he somewhat knew, which were forget-me-nots. He had seen these in a movie once, but they usually had to do with memories? He guessed he and Ouma had shared a few memories, but the ones from longer than a few months ago were… less than memorable he’d say. 

As he looked under the description of the flowers, he saw that his assumption about the meaning was technically correct. However, the flowers also could mean true love. His heartbeat quickened as he realized that this wasn’t a joke. This was real.

Ouma actually liked him.

He forced himself out of his daze before he could think about it too much. He needed to translate all of the flowers before he made assumptions. However, Shuichi’s enthusiasm waned with each subsequent flower. 

He moved on to the several white flowers dispersed throughout the bouquet. The next flower meant innocence and secrecy. He thought the message was nice enough, but he wasn’t sure how it had to do with this context. 

The next meant secret love, which he supposed gave the previous flower a clearer meaning. And the next meant unrequited love. This was around the time Shuichi felt the dread settle in.

But the flower that hit Shuichi the hardest was the largest in the bouquet. They were beautiful clusters of purple flowers perched atop a long stalk. Their height and vibrant purple color made them stand out far more than the rest of the species in the bouquet, and Shuichi found himself marveling at how a flower could grow this way. 

He turned back down to the book and found that they were called hyacinths. He skimmed the entry until he found what the specific color meant.

_“Purple Hyacinths: I’m Sorry; Please Forgive Me; Sorrow”_

If his heart soared moments ago, he felt it crashing back down. Not only did Ouma think his love was unrequited, but he felt guilty for having those feelings in the first place. Ouma thought Shuichi would hate him in the same exact way that Shuichi thought Ouma would.

He felt a flood of empathy rush into him. Shuichi thought he was the only one going through this shameful feeling. The evidence showing him otherwise made him feel a little embarrassed of his neglect for his friends’ struggles. 

More than that though, it made him feel closer to Ouma. He hadn’t completely figured the boy out, and he knew he might never, but it felt like he had in that moment. Shuichi suddenly found himself wondering if the leader had ever intended for him to know what these flowers meant at all. 

Everything about this message felt uncharacteristically honest for Ouma. Not that he thought Ouma couldn’t be sincere, but he knew the liar would never be so blunt about his feelings of all things. Shuichi usually had to go through his elaborate games and contradictions to get to the root of what he felt. There was no way that his decision to tell Shuichi the truth about the bouquet was planned.

He tried to think of what he could do with this information, but he drew a blank. All he could possibly do is confront Ouma about the meaning the next time he saw him. Ouma was always waiting to jump at the opportunity to tease Shuichi, so he was sure he would run into the leader soon.

… Except he didn’t.

Shuichi went to the cafeteria expecting to find Ouma but only found Kaede, Kaito, and Maki waving him over. His eyes kept darting to the door while his friends chatted, but not once did Ouma enter. He tried to see if Ouma was in his dorm, but nobody answered the door. He even tried wandering around the school building to see if the leader was hiding somewhere, but still no Ouma.

Training time was fast approaching, and Shuichi felt himself growing frantic. There was no way he could face Kaito and come clean about Kaede without some backup. Preferably annoying, five foot, Panta-loving backup.

Unfortunately, he realized as he slipped his athletic shoes on, that was exactly what he would have to do. It was already afternoon, and his panicking hadn’t made Ouma magically appear, which meant he would have to face training alone.

He briefly thought about skipping out on it, but he knew there was no way Kaito would let him do that. His friends have been dragging him to work out since their first year, and it was Kaito who organized it in the first place. The astronaut in training would never admit it, but he’d just wanted Maki to show him her workout secrets. He only dragged Shuichi along because he was afraid of her answer, and he knew she wouldn’t get as mad if the detective was around.

Now that it’s routine, Kaito won’t let Shuichi get out of it since it “wouldn’t be the same without him.” It really made him regret befriending two of the most athletic students in the class, but the training was making him better in physical ed class so he couldn’t complain. Not to mention his friends make working out not so bad.

As he arrived at the school track where he could already see Kaito and Maki warming up, Shuichi felt himself pale. He didn’t feel strong enough to do something like this yet. He thought he was, but facing the reality made him want to astral project to the other side of the country. He continued walking though, because he knew he had no other choice.

His approach made both Kaito and Maki stop their stretches and stare.

“Dude, is everything okay? You just got here, and you’re already sweating.”

“Ah, I’m fine,” Shuichi replied, practically shaking.

“Shuichi don’t lie.” Maki’s blunt words cut into his confidence like a dagger. “You shouldn’t sacrifice your health just to be here. Exercising will only make your condition worse.”

“I- I’m not in a condition…”

Meanwhile, Kaito’s expression softened as he drew his own conclusion about what happened. “Aw, Shuichi… Did Kaede turn you down?”

“Did Kaede what?” Maki’s surprise carried an eerie tone. Shuichi wasn’t sure if she was outraged or if that was just what Maki sounded like when she was surprised.

Color flooded Shuichi’s face, contrasting his paleness from moments before. His lie was unraveling, yet becoming more and more tangled by the minute. He didn’t want Maki to be a part of this too. He felt dread pool in his stomach as he realized things were going to get worse before they got better.

“My sidekick totally manned up and confessed to Kaede today!” Kaito explained as he linked his arm around Shuichi’s neck and affectionally ruffled his hair. “He got her flowers and everything! It was really sweet.”

“Is that so…” Maki’s eyes narrowed, and she glared in Shuichi’s direction. “Because I spent most of my day with Kaede, and she didn’t mention anything about such a confession.”

“Babe, I can’t believe you’d doubt me and Shuichi like that! I saw him with a book about flowers myself, and he told me that’s what it was for! You should try to trust him more.”

Maki flushed, whether from being called out or being called babe Shuichi couldn’t tell. However, her flustered state didn’t make her any more passive than she ever was. She was beginning to argue with Kaito before Shuichi cut her off.

“Kaito, that’s not true.”

“What do you mean?”

“That was a lie. I was never going to confess to Kaede. I don’t even like Kaede.”

“Bro, you should’ve said something! I’ve been wing-manning you for so long, and you don’t even like her? Why didn’t you say anything?” Kaito asked with a glint of betrayal in his eyes. Though he was more confused than angry, which was something Shuichi was grateful for.

“It’s just hard, okay?” Shuichi’s gaze trailed off to the side. Admitting the truth seemed far harder when it was outright asked of you.

“Harder than leading your friends on?”

He whipped his head around to face Maki, who stared right back at him with a scowl. Shuichi knew she was direct kind of girl, but being the one under that scrutiny at a time like this devastated him. He felt like he could crumble if she uttered another word. Luckily for him, she didn’t. They simply sat in tense silence as she patiently waited for his answer.

Shuichi steeled himself as he tried to think of a suitable answer. What could he possibly say? Yeah he lied, but in Shuichi’s mind, he did it to protect himself. Surely that had to count for something?

“Maki, you don’t understand,” came his half-baked response.

“Shuichi, you’re my friend, but I don’t tolerate liars. I think I’ve made that very clear. So I would appreciate if you could tell us what was so important that you felt you needed to lie about it.”

Shuichi looked down as he wrung his hands. There was no way around this. He just needed to choke down his fear and say it.

“I- I didn’t say anything because I’m gay, okay?” He paused to gather his scattered thoughts, fingers speeding up their fidgeting as his nervousness peaked. “I don’t... like girls? I just- I thought I liked Kaede because I was supposed to. I don’t though. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want you guys to think I’m gross or weird and, uh, stop talking to me…”

The silence afterwards felt like the longest moment of Shuichi’s life. Every second that passed by, he felt more and more hatred towards himself. He understood their shock, but he just wanted someone to say something.

Until Kaito, ever the one to break the silence, spoke up.

“Dude… I hope this doesn’t mean what I think it means, because I’m already taken.” Maki elbowed him as soon as the words left his mouth. “Ow!”

“Shuichi, this is a lot to process, but thank you for telling us. We fully support you.”

“Yeah, we’d never hate you! Don’t ever feel shy to tell us anything. I’ve never had a gay friend before. This is kinda cool!”

“Kaito, we’re friends with Chabashira. She’s the biggest lesbian in the whole school.”

“What!? I thought she was just a really big feminist!”

As his closest friends argued, Shuichi finally felt his body relax. He couldn’t believe he had expected his friends to hate him after revealing this part of him. Of course they would accept him. Still, the affirmation that what he wanted so desperately to believe was true made him emotional. He blinked away the tears that began forming in his eyes. He didn’t need to embarrass himself like that again.

“Thank you guys. For, uh, understanding,” Shuichi interrupted. He gave them a smile that was small but warm nonetheless.

They both smiled back at him, just as genuine as his. He felt like he’d grown closer to his friends today in a way he hadn’t been able to in a long time.

“But I still don’t understand, Shuichi! Why did you get that book out of the library if you weren’t getting flowers for Kaede?”

“Uh- Actually it’s because Ouma confessed to me. With flowers.”

“I take back my support,” Maki remarked crossing her arms.

Kaito made a sheepish gesture, his arm behind his head. “Heh… Maki’s just playing. Shuichi, we’ll support you in anything, but that pain in the ass? Are you sure?”

“He’s not that bad. I mean, the flowers he got me were really sweet…” He shuffled around a bit as he realized how embarrassing that was to admit out loud.

“Delusional,” Maki replied, turning away from Shuichi.

“I’ve actually been looking for him all day. Have either of you seen him?”

“No, but we’ll help you out any way we can! Right, Maki?”

She stared frustratedly down at the ground before turning towards Shuichi with a serious gaze. “I want it to be clear, I’m only doing this because you’re my friend and not that purple menace.”

“That’s the spirit! So, let’s start with what happened and where you’ve already checked.”

Shuichi detailed just about everything he could think of that could be relevant to the situation. Once he got to the flower meanings, Kaito and Maki almost didn’t believe it, but he managed to pull them out of their denial. 

Once he finished dishing out the details, Kaito began making excessive attempts to suggest places where Ouma could be hiding. Shuichi always valued an outside perspective when it came to a case, but Kaito was missing the mark by a bit too much for it to be helpful.

“Have you tried the library?”

“Briefly, but I don’t think he would go there. He must’ve known that’s exactly where I would go once he told me the flowers meant something.”

“What about the pool?”

“Kaito, I have never once seen Ouma willingly swim in a body of water.”

Maki looked up from where she was pretending not to listen. “Have you checked the greenhouse? It’s where he took you in the first place, so maybe he’s waiting there as another one of those stupid riddles he does.”

Shuichi blinked at her like a bewildered animal. How could he not have thought of that?

“I didn’t actually. I think that’s worth looking into. Thank you, Maki,” he nodded at her.

She stared at him for a moment then gave a subtle nod right back. In that moment, it seemed that they had reached an understanding.

“That's my Maki Roll!” Kaito shouted as he pulled her into a side hug, much to her embarrassment. “Go find the bastard then! There’s always tomorrow for training,” he excitedly ordered with a thumbs up in Shuichi’s direction.

Shuichi was already making creeping steps away as he gave them a sheepish smile. “Thank you guys so much. I- I owe you one!” With that he turned his back and ran towards the gate that lead to the courtyard.

Maki gave a scoff as she watched the detective run like an idiot to Ouma of all people. She hoped to God she’d never blind herself so much for the sake of love. She quietly looked up at Kaito. “You know you’re not skipping out on training just for this, right?”

Kaito’s disappointed groan was the last thing Shuichi heard as he burst through the gate.

  


* * *

  


As Shuichi neared the greenhouse, the excitement he had felt moments before began rapidly fading. Every step made a jittery anxiety creep on his psyche. If Ouma really was in there would he even know what to say? He’d had far too long to think on it, and his blind, reckless confidence from earlier dissolved into nothingness.

No, he wasn’t going to do this again.

He pushed open the door before he could think better of it. The moment he did, he spotted a small figure with its back to the door. A small figure with white clothes and striking dark purple hair.

From what little Shuichi could see, Ouma was picking at flowers he could reach from his position. At least that’s what he assumed with all the petals on the ground near him. Petals of all different kinds from simple daisies to some of the most beautiful flowers Shuichi’s seen, all laid dismembered in the leader’s wake.

Shuichi made a quiet move to approach him, but he supposed it wasn’t quiet enough. Ouma whipped around immediately, the golden hour sun spilling over his features as he turned. It made the leader undeniably pretty, but the view was slightly ruined by the distressed look on his face. His eyes were as wide as saucers until he recognized the boy in the doorway.

“Ah, Saihara-chan! I didn’t see you there,” he giggled as he relaxed, but Shuichi could tell his heart wasn’t in it. He continued working on the flower in his hand, one the detective could now recognize as a peony.

Shuichi sighed and made his way over to sit beside the leader.

“What’s with the flowers?”

“Collateral damage,” he stated plainly, not looking up from his work. “Not my fault they were here when I just happened to be in the mood for mass destruction. Happens to the best of ‘em…” He made a religious gesture as if to lay the destroyed flowers to rest.

Shuichi nodded like he understood what any of that was supposed to mean.

“You know I translated that bouquet. I know you do.”

“Wow, straight to the point! How bold! Nothing gets past the Ultimate Detective huh? Here to tell me to fuck off, I presume?”

“Wh- No!”

“Come on! Why wouldn’t you?”

“I just want to talk, honest!”

“Better start talking then. I have a meeting with the President of Germany, and he won’t be happy if I miss our conference call again.”

Shuichi frowned. “Germany doesn’t have a president?” He abruptly shook the thought from his mind. He of all people knew Ouma was only trying to get him off track. “Ouma, why didn’t you tell me before?”

“Well, I didn’t know he was gonna reschedu-“

“You know what I mean!” Shuichi shouted as a blush rose to his face. He really didn’t want to be having this conversation, but he knew they would get nowhere unless he was the one to take initiative.

“Oh, thaaat! That was all totally a lie, duh!” 

His chipper smile was a brand of plastic that Shuichi had seen many times before, but the detective’s heart sank all the same.

“You didn’t think I’d actually get you flowers, did you? That’s embarrassing!” he giggled as he picked another flower to be demolished and set to work once again.

Shuichi felt his body deflate at the confirmation of his fears. He stared at the mangled petals in front of his crisscrossed legs on the ground and felt kinship. He knew this would happen all along, and now Ouma’s going to abandon him just like he thought he would. 

“Besides, I’m straighter than an arrow!” Ouma continued.

Shuichi couldn’t help the small chuckle that forced its way out which turned into full-blown laughter. His doubt about the situation completely dissipated. “That’s too big of a lie for you to sell me, Ouma,” he spoke between laughs.

Ouma’s look of offense was enough to let Shuichi know he called the liar’s bluff correctly. “It’s not that funny! Shumai’s so mean!” Ouma pouted, which only made Shuichi laugh harder. 

“You’re the most flamboyant person in the class.”

“Yeah, it’s called having a personality.”

“You walk faster than anyone I’ve ever met.”

“I’m a busy man! I have places to be”

“You barely even tolerate any of the girls in our class.”

“Not my fault they’re all annoying freaks.”

“I think most of them would say the same about you.”

“Their loss!”

Shuichi took a look at Ouma’s smile, and felt himself at ease. Where the boy looked like he would break earlier, he now was wearing a real smile. The detective may never know why, but Ouma almost never broke the character he’d created for himself. Perhaps it came with being the Ultimate Supreme Leader? 

Nevertheless, the rarity of it made it all the more special to Shuichi. He’d never admit it out loud, but he loved when he got to see Ouma’s unfiltered emotions.

As if he heard the thought, the boy’s face dropped to a more melancholy expression. “This wasn’t how this was supposed to go, y’know?”

“How was it supposed to go then?”

“You tell me to leave you alone forever. And then avoid me for the rest of school. Maybe sic Maki on me? Do you think she'd actually stab me? That'd be a good one!”

“What the hell?” Shuichi breathed, a comment to himself more than anyone else. “Why would I do any of that?”

Ouma tilted his head back with a dramatic groan that startled Shuichi from his confusion. “I can’t believe I have to spell it out for you. I took advantage of you! Just because you came out to me first doesn’t mean you like me, but I forced my feelings on you anyway! Isn’t that disgusting? Totally immoral? Do you get it now, huh? Huuuh?” Ouma was getting further and further into the detective’s space with every word, staring at him with wide childish eyes.

Shuichi was forced to lean away to maintain some semblance of space. He could only breathe shaky breaths and stare back at him. This was too bizarre. What the hell had Ouma been thinking this whole time? None of it made any sense, but when had Ouma ever made sense?

“I… Ouma, I do like you.”

The frayed petals left in Ouma’s grip fell soundlessly to the ground. “Huh?” Ouma choked out as his expression morphed into something blank and unreadable.

Shuichi had learned that this particular face meant he’d caught the leader off guard. It’s not a good or bad reaction, it’s simply what he looks like when his mask falls. He prided himself on being able to make the boy with a wardrobe full of masks instantly drop every single one with a well-timed comment.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you this whole time!” he frustratedly explained. “That’s why I’ve been looking for you all day!”

“I don’t like jokes, Saihara-chan,” the boy deadpanned and made a motion to turn back to his flowers instead.

“I’m not joking!” Shuichi hurriedly grabbed Ouma’s arm before he could reach for another flower. Ouma was staring back at him with his wide, shocked eyes again. He hoped this wasn’t a weird thing to do. God, he was so embarrassing. He couldn’t back down now, though.

“I- I need you to get it through your thick skull that people do like you! Just because you play jokes and pranks all the time doesn’t mean the whole school hates you. Some people actually enjoy your company, and one of those people is me! I really like you, Kokichi, and there’s nothing you can do to change my mind!”

Before he had enough time to so much as catch his breath after his outburst, he felt tiny hands gripping his face and pulling him down into a fierce kiss.

Shuichi registered the sensation of lips on his own, but it didn’t feel real. He wasn’t even sure his mind was in his body as he did his best to reciprocate. He gripped Ouma like a lifeline and tried to deepen the kiss as best he could manage. It was sloppy, but it still made the detective’s head swim and his heart flutter all the same.

When Ouma pulled away, Shuichi was only left with the thought that he really really wanted to do that again. He had half a mind to dive right back into Ouma’s space, but the fear that it’d be weird overwhelmed the impulse. This moment felt so perfect that he didn’t want to ruin it.

Instead he stared at Ouma, mapping out the other boy’s face. His eyes flitted from his wide eyes to his reddened lips to the small irregularities of his face that can’t be seen from afar. He felt awestruck at how one kiss could make him fully realize how much affection he held for the boy in front of him.

As soon as the thought crossed Shuichi’s mind, the leader broke into a wide smile and laughed his signature laugh.

“Wow, Shumai! I didn’t know you put out before the first date! That’s like a whole new level of desperate!” he laughed as he snaked his arms around Shuichi’s own that was closest.

Shuichi’s face heated at the accusation. “I wasn’t even the one to kiss you! If anyone’s desperate it’s you.”

“Don’t be like that!” he defended as he tightened his arms around Shuichi. The oncoming tears were audible in Ouma’s voice, if the crestfallen look on his face wasn’t enough to go by. “If that’s how it is, then I guess we can’t go out on a real date…”

“I- I never said that…”

“Ha! You wanna go on a date with me? How embarrassing! No takesies backsies though!” Ouma declared, laying his head on Shuichi’s shoulder while said detective affectionately swatted him.

They sat intertwined on the floor of the greenhouse until the light was gone. When it got too dark to stay out, Ouma insisted Shuichi carry him back to the dorms, and Shuichi begrudgingly obliged after what felt like the millionth request.

He almost collapsed right then and there when Ouma excitedly jumped onto his back. He righted himself as the leader teased him for wobbling and proceeded to trudge along campus as well as he could with a five-foot goblin moving around on top of him. Maybe he should be working harder during training, he thought.

Just then, they spotted Kaito and Maki walking back into the dorms from their training session. At least Shuichi thought so from how sweaty Kaito looked, but with how far away they were he wasn’t sure. He suddenly felt Ouma push himself as high as he could get and begin enthusiastically waving.

“Hey, Idiot-chan, Murder Girl! Still walking like the plebs you are?” He hung off the detective’s back with one arm. “If you were a cool supreme leader such as myself, you could just get your underlings to carry you instead!”

Shuichi grumbled beneath him.

“Shuichi’s not one of your stupid underlings! So don’t treat him like one!” Kaito shouted. Maki jammed her elbow into his shoulder. “What?... Oh, and stop calling me an idiot!”

“Saihara-chan, aren’t you practically a member of my organization?”

“If I say yes, can I put you down?”

“Of course!”

“Then sure.”

Ouma hopped off his back with a flourish in Kaito’s direction. “See?” He then linked his elbow with Shuichi’s and started dragging him through the dorm entrance. “C’mon, Saihara-chan. We have super secret organization matters to discuss! Members only!”

Before he was dragged away, he saw the exasperated look on Maki’s face and the disgusted face Kaito wore while still trying to give Shuichi an enthusiastic thumbs up. The contrast made him laugh, and he gave Kaito a pity thumbs up back.

When they made it inside, Ouma immediately released the detective.

“Well, that was neat! But you totally can’t come to my meetings.”

“I don’t exactly need to, unless you want me to arrest you,” he chuckled.

“Duh! I can’t have a detective holding me down from my dastardly crimes,” he explained, grinning with his arms behind his head. “Even though you’re a zero-willpower weakling-”

“Hey!”

“I know you’ll never give up your detective work. That’s why we toootally shouldn’t date!”

Shuichi knew exactly what he was trying to get at, and he wasn’t going to fall for it this time. He narrowed his eyes. “Kokichi, that’s stupid.”

Kokichi let out a dramatic faux gasp, and opened his mouth to go on a spiel on how rude Shuichi really was. Shuichi moved faster though and surprised the leader with a short, frustrated kiss to prove his point. When he pulled back, Ouma couldn’t think of a single word to reply with. 

The embarrassment of the kiss knocking the lies right out of him flustered Ouma so badly that he ran all the way up the stairs and into his own dorm without a word. Shuichi breathed a soft laugh when he heard the door slam shut.

He turned around to make his way to his own room only to see Kaito and Maki standing in the entryway to the dorms. Kaito wore a look of abject horror while Maki blankly stared back at Shuichi.

Why he had assumed they were going anywhere but inside the dorms, he had no idea. He gave a nervous wave to them, hoping they hadn’t seen what just happened.

Maki rolled her eyes. “Get a room, idiots.”

He anxiously scurried to his room and slammed the door.

He slumped against the door until he was sitting on the floor. Despite his embarrassment, he broke into a genuine smile. Today could’ve gone so much worse.

When the anxiety subsided, Shuichi flopped onto his bed feeling warmer than usual. He was so content yet too full of emotion to sleep, so he settled for collecting his thoughts. He turned his head to stare at the flowers still in pristine condition on his desk.

He thought of how upset he’d been just yesterday, and how one single day and one single person turned his whole outlook around. He no longer felt alone. He had someone who understood him and would likely pave the way for him to be comfortable enough to unabashedly be himself. He might even be able to tell the whole class. Even if he didn't tell them anytime soon, he'd never be upset about being thrown at Kaede again. What could it do to hurt him when he was finally confident enough in himself to know how ridiculous that was?

He felt like things actually might be alright. 

He closed his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @ my roommate if you’re reading this you WILL be shot at dawn. be ready.
> 
> The flowers and their intended meanings:
> 
> Purple Forget-me-nots: True Love  
White daffodils: Unrequited Love  
White roses: Innocence and Secrecy  
White gardenias: Secret Love  
Purple Hyacinths: I am Sorry; Please Forgive Me; Sorrow
> 
> the other 5 flowers were just filler flowers
> 
> anyway thanks to everybody who said they wanted a sequel to this oneshot. this one goes out to you lads. also thanks for reading the whole thing through. this was a fun experiment and honestly i might write more fic in the future if i have any time so see you guys whenever that may be <3


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